Doll



June 36, 1936. w. c. RASTETTER DOLL Filed July 51, 1955 INVENTOR.

.4 ATTORNEY" Patented June 30, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT 'OFFICE' DOLL William C. Rastetter, Fort Wayne, Ind.

Application July 31, 1935, Serial No. 34,054

3 Claims. (Cl. 46-135) This invention relates to improvements in dolls of that type wherein the facial expression of the doll structure is selectively altered at the will of the operator. An object of the invention is to afford a doll head so constructed and provided with mechanism that a variety of expressions of the face of the doll is produced upon manipulation of the related mechanism. Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the following description.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:--

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a doll head of the type to which the invention applies;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation projected from Fig. 1, parts being cut away, showing the mechanism by which changes of expression in the face of the doll are effected;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section of Fig. 2 approximately on the line 3-3 thereof;

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of a skeletal structure for the doll head; and

Figs. 5 and 6 are diagrams illustrative respectively of facial expressions of the doll head that are effected according to adjustment of the mechanism provided therefor.

The illustrative embodiment of the invention consists of a hollow skeletal form I, shaped to simulate the skull of a human being, except that in the front thereof there is provided an opening 2 in that region where normally the eyes, nose, mouth and chin are located.

The skeletal form is made preferably of papiermach or any other suitable material, and its exterior is provided with a cover 3 preferably formed of elastic material, such for example, as soft rubber. The cover is secured upon the skeletal form I by means of cement or other suitable securing agent, except that portion 8 that overlies the front or face portion of the form. That facial portion of the cover 3. preferably is secured to the form l by means of applications of a suitable cement at certain isolated points 5, 6, and 1 located respectively above the eyebrows 8, adjacent the lateral extremities, of the mouth 9 and beneath the chin It.

That portion of the cover 3 that extends in front of the opening 2 and the front portions of the form adjacent the opening and located between said points of attachments 5, 6, and l, is free to have movement relative to the form.

Preferably, the cover is molded so as to present a simulation of characteristic features of a countenance, such as eyebrows 8, eyesockets H,

nose l2, and the'mouth 9, the movable facial portion of the cover being flexible.

Within the skeletal form i is transversely disposed a stationary shaft l3 upon which is mounted an operating lever Hi the front end of which abuts the inner face of the cover immediately back of the mouth 9 and is preferably secured thereto by a suitable adhesive. The rear end of the lever It extends through an aperture I5 made in the back of the skeletal form and is shaped so as to afford an operating knob l6 by which the lever is manually oscillated upon the axis of the shaft l3.

The lever M has an upwardly extending bracket I'l located above the shaft l3, and. on the upper end of said bracket is pivoted a forwardly ex tending beam it which is provided at its front end with a horizontal cross member Hi, the respective outer ends of which abut the inner ends of the corresponding eyesockets H and are secured thereto by means of artificial eyes located in said sockets and which have stems 2! that are secured in the corresponding ends of the cross member 99. Thus, when the lever M is tilted upon the shaft I3, forward and backward movement is imparted to the beam' l8 through the medium of the bracket i! on the operating lever, accordingly as said lever is tilted, and the flexible eyesockets l l are pressed forwardly or drawn inwardly as the beam i8 is actuated.

A second beam 22 has pivotal connection at its inner end with the bracket Ill and its forward end projects into the nose I2, the forward end of the beam being provided with a horizontal cross member 23 the respective outer ends of which extend immediately beneath the corresponding eyesockets H. The beam it has a pendent portion 24 that rests upon the beam 22,

. and the beam 22 has a pendent portion 25 that bears upon the operating lever l4, so that when the forward end of the operating lever I4 is tilted upwardly, as when downward pressure is applied to the operating knob Hi, the beams l8 and 22 are correspondingly raised and drawn backwardly through the medium of the bracket ll. This has the effect of elevating the middle portion of the mouth 9 through its attachment with the operating lever l4, elevating the nose l2 and compressing the eyesockets I I through the medium of the beam 22 and its cross member 23, and drawing the eyesockets backwardly into the hollow skeletal form. The result of such action is that the facial portion 4 of the cover is distorted more orless with the effect of changing the normal expression of the face to such as that indicated in Fig. 5.

When the operating lever I4 is tilted downwardly, as by raising the operating knob IS, the mouth 9 is moved downwardly and the beams l8 and 22 are moved forwardly. In this action the eyesockets are relieved of the pressure of the cross member 23 on the beam 22 and the eyes are moved forwardly so as to be exposed fully to view. Thus, the facial expression is again changed from the normal to such as that indicated in Fig. 6.

As the facial portion 4 of the cover 3 that overlies the front of the skeletal form between its points of attachment 5, 6. and 1 is loose with respect to the form I and is elastic there is ready response of the loose portion to movements of the mechanism attached thereto, constituted of the operating lever l4 and the beams l8 and 22,

and in this manner changes of expression of the face aremade to appear life-like. This action is enhanced by restraint to movement of the loose portion 4, with respect to the form I at the points of attachment that surround the opening 2 when the loose portion is maneuvered about by the action of the mechanism controlled by the operating lever.

When downward pressure is manually applied to the knob IS, the mouth becomes arched upwardly while the corners of the mouth are restrained from upward movement by the attaching points 6, the nose recedes inwardly and moves upwardly, the eyesockets are compressed in front of the eyes by the action of the member 22, the eyes are drawn inwardly behind the raised portion of the sockets, and the eyebrows are arched upwardly. Thus is efiected an expression of distress (Fig.5). However, when the knob is pressed upwardly, the mouth becomes arched downwardly while the corners of the mouth are restrained from downward movement by said attaching points 6, the nose is protruded outwardly and moved downwardly, the eyes and their sockets are thrust outwardly, and the inner ends of the eyebrows are drawn downwardly. And thus is effected a pleasing expression (Fig. 6). These changes of facial expression are controlled. wholly by manipulation of the operating knob.

I claim:

1. In a doll structure, a skeletal form constituting a skull, said form having an opening in the front thereof, a covering for said form, the facial portion of said covering being elastic and ex- 5 tended over said opening and shaped to simulate eyebrows, eyesockets, nose and mouth of a countenance and being movable relative to said form, means for attaching said facial portion to said form at points located respectively above said eyebrows, adjacent the comers of the mouth, and below said opening, and a manually operated lever having associated actuating pivoted beams connected respectively with said sockets, nose and 15 mouth.

2. A doll head having a skull, said skull being provided with an opening in the front thereof, a covering for said form a portion of which is elastic and extends over said opening said portion being 20 treated to have the appearance of a countenance, and manually operated mechanism provided with an operating lever having associated therewith pivoted actuating beams operatively connected respectively at different points with said elastic 25 portion of the cover forimparting movement thereto.

3. A doll head having a skeletal form provided with an opening in the front thereof, a covering for said form a portion of which is elastic and 3 extended over said opening and treated to have the appearance of a countenance, an operating lever pivoted in said form, one end of which lever connects with said elastic portion at the point thereof that simulates the mouth of saidcounte- 35 nance, said operating lever having a bracket pro jecting therefrom, a beam pivoted on said bracket provided with a cross member connected to that portion of said flexible portion of the cover in the region that simulates the eyes of said countenance, a second beam pivoted to said bracket extending into that portion of the flexible member constituting the nose of said countenance and having a cross member that is disposed beneath that portion of said cover that constitutes the eyesockets of said countenance, and means operatively relating said beams with each other and with said operating lever.

WILLIAM C. RAS'I'EIIER. 

